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Published: December 17th 2009
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After finally getting out of Peru we were fecking ecstatic to finally land in Miami. We had achieved it and we both were looking forward to our 10 days of luxury around the Caribbean.
We got the train from Miami airport upto Fort Lauderdale and a short bus journey later got to our accommodation near the water front and breathed a sigh of relief as we were only about 10mins from the cruise terminal so nothing could stop us now.
What we did need to tackle was Jo's lack of any appropriate clothes though we hoped it would be less formal than the Queen Mary 2 cruise. The last thing either of us wanted to do was shop but reluctantly we found out were some shops were from our friendly Indian Hotel receptionist.
After a days worth of shopping at places that only had a Sale, using the laundry and refreshingly eating food that we didn't think would give us food poisoning we retired for the night. The next day we didnt have to be at the cruise terminal till around 1 so managed to pick up some swim wear, saw some
of Fort Lauderdale expensive properties with impressive yachts moored along side and headed for the terminal.
A nice simple check in process meant we were on the cruise ship in no time and found our state room. The Ruby Princess was only a year old and it was a very impressive ship, to be fare though after South America a hostel that supplied toilet paper would have seemed like luxury to us.
We unpacked which hadn't happened for 3 months really since the last cruise, and as for those of you who have backpacked, your never in the same place for long enough to pull any more than a few things from the back pack.
We headed up to the top deck and a band was playing by one of the swimming pools, we got a drink from the bar and watched as we cruised out of port Everglades and watched the sun setting over Florida. It was nice to be able to relax, not be on the alert for getting our bags taken and sitting with shorts and t-shirts in the nice warm weather.
Only 2 of the 10 days of the cruise were formal
nights so we didnt have to feel out of place to much and some of the people must have thought it was t-shirt and shorts night every night from there attire.
We had taken a few bottles of wine on board and opened a bottle while getting ready. As usual on cruise ships and especially one with 3100 soles on board we had plenty of choice for restaurants and entertainment. The first night we both cleaned our plates and went to the midnight buffet after the theatre for 2nds, Matt especially was going to full taken advantage of all the food included on the cruise.
Our first island that we visited was Princess keys in the Bahamas, a nice relaxing day on the beach, the snorkelling was okay not much life in the water though but lunch was prepared for us right on the beach so we couldn't really complain.
I think we had been spoilt on the Queen Mary 2 because though the entertainment during sea days was good but we didnt have an on board planetarium, film directors giving lectures or performances by the National symphony orchestra. But with the weather in the Caribbean definitely
better than the transatlantic crossing we ate, read, relaxed and yes ate again if we were not of on one of the islands.
We visited St Thomas, were every American on board seemed to go and by jewellery, St Kitts and Barbados, here we caught the bus to a recommended snorkelling beach and spent the day in the water snorkelling and snapping fish in the reef.
Its funny as we were the only people who walked of the boat and then walked into the town that we had docked at and got a bus or collectivo to a beach or reef. So many fat Americans & fat Brits (but mostly Americans on board) got in a taxi offered by one of the rude and at times pestering drivers even to drive metres down the road into the town centre. As we had got plenty of practice catching buses and sussing out where to go we used good old, cheap public transport to get around the islands that we visited.
On one occasion after saying no to a taxi driver we were yelled at and called cheap. Now I could understand poor South Americans who don't
have a thing being touchy about us not spending in there country as we saw plenty with feck all but the touchy taxi driver from Barbados how looked more than well fed got upset, thus we told him in the middle of the street where to go.
The days usually started for us about 9 with a lazy awakening and watching the on board morning show in the room, then breakfast if we didn't have breakfast delivered and finally heading of the boat around 10:30 - 11, pretty lazy compared to our previous journeys.
Our days were taken up by snorkelling or visiting some places on the islands, St Lucia especially was very pretty with green Mts disappearing into the clouds. After we had done enough on the island or in the water we would head back to the port and time for a late lunch, the problem was that the lunches were usually that tempting we feasted on them and had to push our dinner plans to after the theatre /comedian/ hypnotist etc.
We would usually head to the pool at the rear of the boat, away from the huge TV screen playing NFL or afternoon
films in the middle pool of the vessel. We would relax in the spa and watch as the ship pulled out of the port and watched the island disappear as the sun went down. One of the best things about the cruise is the food, entertainment and for Matt the gym which would be our pre get ready activity.
As we had a choice of a few restaurants we would switch between the buffet restaurant or the any time dining restaurant, between nights. Usually watching the show which was a magician or the on board singers and dancers that did 3 shows which started not that great but ended on the last night in an amazing production with some great effects as the ship was only a year old it had better facilities than some of the theatres we have been in. After a show it was time for food as we were ready to eat again after our lunch feast and then catch the late night entertainment before possibly eating again. Ok that was Matt who wanted to usually eat again.
Our last island was Antigua and we got the bus to a recommended snorkelling beach but
the though a great sandy tranquil beach, the waves were choppy enough to reduce the visibility. I was so choppy the waves not Matt over and he lost his sun glasses that had survived all of south America. On this day we had our last formal day of the cruise and we donned our newly purchased pieced together fine clothes and that night a great show by the Princess dancers with some pretty amazing use of technology. For some reason at 12:15am we had a new years count down and an excuse to through streamers down into the Piazza below and dance the night away.
Our last 2 days were at sea cruising back to Fort Lauderdale so good days to relax, read and eat. The weather was great for the whole 10 days so just sunning our selves and recal ling all the adventures over the last 3 months.
Of the morning of the 4th we got back to Florida, had our last breakfast on the Ruby Princess and disembarked. Along side everyone else collecting there 5 piece luggage we donned our backpacks and headed out the cruise terminal to the nearest bus stop. We didn't have
to check in until 3 more hours but as we had seen enough shops, churches, museums.. enough of about everything the last 3 months we decided to head straight for the airport for our 6pm flight to Atlanta and later finally back to London Heathrow.
It had finally come to an end.... It was only 7 months ago that we had landed in the UK before a wedding, christening, cruise to Norway, valley of the kings in Egypt and finally our departure for New York and our 3 months of Central and South America.
It was time to spend Dec in the UK with friends and family before our final and last travel for a very long time, back to Wellington New Zealand.
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